


eyes on you

by HongKongRepublic



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 18:25:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14195010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HongKongRepublic/pseuds/HongKongRepublic
Summary: they dance





	eyes on you

**Author's Note:**

> Notes at the beginning!! bc if you don’t ENJOY it don’t be a weenie abt it :///
> 
> also no beta bc it took me 18 years to write this and i didn’t even like it so take it as it is ig sorry bro

“No matter where we go, no matter what we do, if you're there girl, I've got my eyes on you. Don't matter where we've been, no there ain't no better view—than you in my arms with my eyes on you,  
With my eyes on you,  
With my eyes on you.”

Eyes On You // Chase Rice

—

The hall of Nohr is quiet. It’s filled with soft melodic sounds of cellos and violins, their tune is gothic as the nobles of Nohr dance effortlessly across the hall, a box step, a waltz, the music is tyranny in the large area, and King Leo of Nohr sits atop it all. He watches, the circlet he wears is large for the young man, and he is dressed to fit his role. His cape is long and dreary, the exterior fluff that grows into a collar. His mage armor is now adorned with the soft furs that line his cape, his gauntlets are excessively clean, and some form of makeup adorns his under eye. 

Niles, a faithful retainer, stands next to the solemn king. Niles truly looks more to age than Leo, Niles has grown out his hair far enough to adorn a ponytail, a small amount of scruff has grown on his face. It’s a pleasant addition, nothing overbearing. Alas, he too looks solemn. His liege now crushed under heaps of weight of a crippling kingdom, Ryoma can offer condolences. He’s heard of the many assassination attempts, the numbers of executions Leo’s carried.

In honesty, he fears him. He fears the purity of the power Leo contains in his small form. Many say a mage’s magic is twisted and changed to accommodate one’s radiating energy. To most, it is a circle, rounded out and even. However, with Leo’s new crown of Nohr that decorates the blonde strands, his energy empties outwards. It fills the areas surrounding him and suffocates any chance of resistance, his eyes are intimidating, like a shade of red wine at sunset. There’s always a hint of the true shade of red. 

Perhaps it’s the fear that draws him nearer and nearer. Ryoma is fancied in Nohrian attire, it’s restricting and tight against his form, he dislikes the shirt against his chest, it’s too tight as well. His hair is confined to a lower ponytail, Takumi’s is as well. He too, is dressed in Nohrian attire, all of his siblings are, it makes him shift on his feet to see them all dressed in such dark and unfamiliar clothing. 

However, they all dance with Nohrian nobility. They dance before the king of Nohr who’s outfit has changed from the metallic armor to a button-up shirt, tight vest, and a ruffled accent on his neck. Niles too, adorns similar wear. Niles steps in front of Leo, as if he’s rehearsed his line and this ceremony several times. His eyepatch has been exchanged for a leather masking, the woman Ryoma once danced with scoffed at Niles’ sudden appearance. He looked back to Niles.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, royals of Hoshido, King Leo will now face the floor, may anything of discourse occur— my quiver will gladly empty into your necks.”

Niles turns around, the cape he wears slightly glides until it rests on the nape of his back. With the move, he kneels before Leo, who rises on his own accord, his menacing appearance seemed to deteriorate, men and women made attempts to not flock, yet when Leo stepped away from the throne, where Niles would rise again, he looked younger once more, uncomfortable with a thought of courtship. 

Once Leo’s foot breaches the marble floor with a resounding—click!—a wave of men and women back up from the floor. Ryoma watches as he scans the audience, he searches, he even has such an audacity to look towards Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura. He reaches for the hand of a Nohrian woman, she gasps, yet Leo’s expression is nothing short of indifference to this woman. 

Once the woman allows Leo to take her other hand, the two dance, and the ball follows suit. Ryoma dances with Sakura, just to avoid any precarious situations with Nohrians. It was not that he didn’t trust the Nohrian nobles, but Sakura was his younger sister, he had no choice. 

The song completes, the men standing at the cellos, pianos, and other instruments Ryoma cannot name, they move to a new song. It’s not as eerie and calm as the previous song, yet it is still a waltz of Nohrian design, making it frigid and dark. Leo pulls away from the woman, who is visibly upset, he moves gracefully to Hinoka, the entire ballroom is watching his movements. Leo himself bows to Hinoka, he stands up once more, crown never disturbed, and offers his hand. 

Ryoma isn’t sure what overtakes him, Hinoka is stammering at Leo’s unmoving face, yet he looks apologetic. As if he is sorry to lay such a pressure on her shoulders, as Ryoma moves towards the pair, he can see Niles tense in the corner of his eye. 

Now, Ryoma isn’t exactly educated in Nohrian dance, however he could lead through one, and he hoped that would pull through for him now. Just to assist Hinoka, not based on his own attraction, whatsoever. Then again, he was basing this on the fact that Leo didn’t mind being led around his owl dance hall. A problem for another day, he assumed. 

Shoving Hinoka from the scene, who was blushing profusely, Ryoma took Leo’s hand into his own. Leo’s eyes look up to Ryoma, he suddenly feels smaller in the stead of Hinoka, Leo’s gaze is icy and it cuts through Ryoma’s being. They’re a shade of wine, a dark red that pours. Leo’s pale complexion, along with the blonde strands, they contrast well. It’s hypnotizing, a king, so short and young yet so entrancing. 

It takes Ryoma by surprise when Leo’s grip loosens in his hands, Leo smiles, it’s soft and welcoming. Ryoma can sees Niles glaring in his direction as he leads the Nohrian king across the hall. The nobles who stood in shock now follow, Ryoma’s positive he’s going to step on Leo’s foot. He’s absolutely sure that his skills are not as refined as the Nohrians—

Leo stumbles into Ryoma, and the circlet that adorns his head falls to the marble floor.

It makes a piercing sound to Ryoma’s ears as the entire room turns to gaze at him. 

Leo is pushing himself from Ryoma’s chest, his face is flush with embarrassment, he slightly shakes, yet he’s gripping Ryoma’s shirt as if his life depends on it. He’s regaining his bearings as far as Ryoma can tell, and Ryoma doesn’t enjoy the unease he feels as the nobles and guards cast him dirty stares. 

Leo releases the fabric that lies on Ryoma’s chest, and he backs up, standing expectantly. Ryoma’s siblings stare, curious, unlike the Nohrian nobility. Leo glares, and Niles makes his way across the ballroom in order to stand at the side of Leo. The music of the orchestra has stopped, and they all stare expectantly, Ryoma’s flustered in a sharp manner of mortification. He’s quiet as Niles walks quickly despite his formal wear, he holds his bow in a position of power, he acts similar to a wolf. A hound who swears loyalty to one clan. 

Niles shifts on his feet, he looks slightly around the room, then apologetically to Leo. 

“Will you not pick up the king’s crown, High Prince Ryoma?”

Ryoma’s expression blanks, before coming to realization that it was a Nohrian custom he’d never come in contact with before. Ryoma looks to his siblings, who look ready to start a war. His retainers are in a similar manner, they look ready to engage in any sort of combat necessary. 

However, Ryoma feels a prick of fear as the room stares at him, so he finds himself succumbing to the defeat. He bends to the ground, retrieving the fallen crown, and gently places it back in Leo’s hands. Leo places the circlet back on his own head, and Ryoma apologizes quietly. Niles nods in affirmation towards the both of them, and the orchestra begins once more. The nobles turn back again, the dancing resumes, and Ryoma can exhale and breathe steadily again.

Leo places his hands back into Ryoma’s.

“You looked like a dog bending down to retrieve the crown.”

He smiles in the statement, it holds no venom. It reminds Ryoma of the Leo before the war, he didn’t exactly know him well, yet he was intelligent and teasing in a sense that would prick at others. Ryoma smiles back, he guides Leo around, steadier this time to avoid a sequence—in his opinion—that was far more dramatic than need be. 

“I suppose with this shirt, I am already collared, King Leo.”

Leo laughs, it’s soft and light, it’s hard to believe this young man is king, and more than half of his family had left him just years prior. Ryoma can sense the tenacity of Leo, and how he stares at him. His gazes never strays from Ryoma. In fact, Ryoma can’t bring himself to look away either. 

Leo’s eyes are similar to wine, that’s his only thought. However, they remind him of Hoshidan drinks as well. Sangria, a mixture of juice and alcohol, and blood red. Ryoma’s veins run with hot blood and Leo’s eyes ignite the flame that heats it. They hold a tempest, it’s aggressive yet oddly calming. Ryoma was in love with this concept. To see Leo as a gorgeous storm, a flood to replenish the earth with nutrients from ancient times. 

Leo grips his hand tighter, his smile is smaller, yet still there.

“We shouldn’t be dancing together, High Prince Ryoma. We are from opposing kingdoms who recently adapted from war. What are your motives?”

Ryoma hears the song in the background grow steadily in the music, meaning they’ve reached about halfway through a dance Ryoma somewhat regrets, he doesn’t regret however; Leo’s stare, the gorgeous blonde hair that sits quaint on the man’s hand and covers his forehead, the way his hand holds in his own. Hinoka had once compared him to a moose, a rather bulky animal from Nohr. ‘Moose-hands’ as she had described, and perhaps she was right in that way, Leo’s hands were small and delicate, yet they held Ryoma’s in a way he couldn’t forget. 

“My motive is diplomacy, Leo. And perhaps a dance with a beautiful man who charms me by embarrassing my very country and position.”

The last part of his sentence holds a small amount of venom that he didn’t intend to, yet Leo looks at him apologetically. Ryoma just softly smiles, Leo takes a breath before blowing strands of hair from his face, tinted a soft pink.

“My motives are similar in that sense, Ryoma,”

He looks away, off to his side, as if he needs to be less distracted to hear something. Ryoma couldn’t object, personally, he found himself good looking, Leo should too. 

“Spin me.”

Ryoma blinked, continuing to lead Leo in a simple box-step around the room. 

“Pardon? You want me to spin you?”

Leo smiled, and followed in Ryoma’s increasingly shaky lead.

“I suppose I do, this dance is going to end soon, I must dance with other suitors who would treat me better than this—”

Ryoma cuts off Leo, he’s heard enough at the mention of ‘suitors’ and he shouldn’t be surprised, or jealous in that matter. However he is, and he wouldn’t mind courting the Nohrian king in order to rule both countries together, however with the way Leo smiles at him, he almost thinks of himself as a suitor. 

With that, Ryoma hears the orchestra speed up, implying the last few seconds before the finale of the song. Soon, Leo would depart and go to dance with another man or woman wanting to court in this ball. 

Ryoma takes a chance with his rookie dance skills, and releases Leo’s left hand, pulling it away to raise both their right arms and twirling the young king around, shock is written on Leo’s face he returns to face Ryoma once more. Now, Ryoma didn’t exactly expect such a thing to work out, but Leo looked shocked, and Ryoma imagined he looked much the same. 

With the ending of the song, Ryoma tested his chances once again. 

“Hold onto that crown of yours, a small ride awaits you.”

Leo nods, and with the final strokes of the cello, Ryoma makes a very well-executed attempt at dipping Leo, he didn’t enjoy his chances at dropping the younger man, yet he quickly pulled him back to his feet.

He can hear a cheer or two from Hinoka or Takumi, Leo’s eyebrows are raised as the two drop their hands. The orchestra turns a page to a new ballad, Ryoma bends on one knee to kiss the back of Leo’s hand, he feels pink tickles on his cheeks, he assumes Leo feels the same.

“Until the next dance, my king.”

Leo graces him with that small smile again, before turning to join with more Nohrians. Ryoma stood up, wiping sweat off his forehead. He felt jittery, and perhaps a little infatuated with the king. He thought of himself as a considerable suitor—if he was one. He didn’t quite know what he was.

Ryoma’s night was full of the teasing of his siblings, he was surprised himself he executed the dance so well, however he supposed he looked a little dorky with the king.

However, it was certain of one thing, Leo’s gaze didn’t stray far from Ryoma. Suitor or not, the glare and intensity of focus on Ryoma was unreal, he didn’t take such care in their trade affairs and such—it wasn’t needed—yet Leo’s stare remained.

•

Eyes on You


End file.
